Hi Josef,

Please see my comments below yours.

>>I really get tired of (supposedly knowledgeable) folks who think professional development, testing, and deployment of demo versions of software applications -- on multiple platforms with multiple hardware configurations and multiple dependencies -- is a few configuration file changes and a snap of the fingers. The demo, IMHO, has to be even more exhaustively tested than the product itself -- *because* it's limited and needs to have special needs addressed for that purpose.
>
>Hi Evan !
>I'll try to use your style (sorry in advance).
>I really get tired of folks who defend Microsoft like only independence should be defended.
>Below I included an advertisement. I know that it is only an advertisement so I do not trust in every word of it. I do not claim that it will be possible to use this product or another such product in case of VFP. I do not say do not test. I think that a sofware product can be done in such way that separate testing of demo version will not be needed or needed only in very limited scope. It seems generally possible and this is the reason of my wish. Maybe in case of VFP it is not possible - I do not know how VFP internally works and I do not know Microsoft internal rules so I won't argue. Les Pinter wrote that VFP is best keeped secret of Microsoft. I am just a little bit angry that this sentence still have some sense.
>

My response:

I agree with you on several of your points:
- I also get tired of those who defend Microsoft, or *any* company, at all costs
- I also do not know (completely -bg-) how Microsoft works internally
- I am also frustrated that Les Pinter's statement is still somewhat valid

However, I do not believe that in professional software development, you can produce a demo version of a product where "separate testing of demo version will not be needed or needed only in very limited scope". IMHO, quite the opposite condition exists.

Demos of software are -- and should be -- *completely* different animals than the actual product. A demo product must concern itself with factors that the full product need not worry about, such as:

- how long the demo is viable (shelf life) or may be used (timeout)
- the features to provide/restrict/eliminate
- the target market of the demo (NOT the product -- they are -not- the same)
- the level of support provided

There are other factors, but you get the idea.

Josef, I'd *love* to have a demo version of VFP. I just don't want the Fox team to design VFP with the idea of producing this demo as one of the primary considerations, nor do I wish to have them produce this demo and have it hurt the product more than it helps.

>
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